Jack Blackgarden
"I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by” - Addition to Jack's Volume of Seafaring Shanties and Poems '''' Captain Jackson Blackgarden (Also known as Jack; 'Devil Jack'; Captain of the Pantheress) is brazen, bold and confident by nature, teetering on the edge of recklessness. A cunning and dangerous Corsair, renowned throughout the Forbidding Sea and beyond the Cape of Stranglethorn for his ruthlessness and brilliance in command, he is feared and admired throughout all the seas of Azeroth. =Description= ---- Caution or admiration, initially, are what the majority of the peoples of Azeroth would feel when gazing at the impressive form that was Jack Blackgarden. Whether this opinion is drawn from the striking gaze and handsome features; or the undeniably confident and careless fashion in which he carries himself, an observer is drawn to the irrefutable conclusion that the man is an imposing, sinister and enigmatic character indeed. Physically, the Tiriasian man would be acclaimed as handsome - if the observer's tastes were so inclined. He stood tall; a sinister, imposing, commanding figure. With an angular face and sharp prominent features. First thing of note to be seen is the oddly absorbing blue gaze; two entrancing irises that were very slightly luminous in seemingly ethereal fashion. Between these vessels of vision sat a straight, undamaged aquiline nose, leading to a set of full lips often pursed to accommodate his attentive expression. With high cheekbones and a prominent, sharp jawline; yes, it could be stated without dispute that he was pleasing to the eye. All features rested on a canvas of skin sun kissed and blemished by the sea; which was crowned by a dark brown hair, tied back deftly into a messy yet practical knot. An onlooker would note the impressive physique of the man once their gaze was removed from his bewitching facial features. He stood at roughly six and a half feet tall, with broad muscular shoulders that crowned a perfectly chiselled chest and six pack. His long arms were massive in their own right, with swollen veiny forearms and large hands. This strong upper body was perched on a set of long, strong legs. His thighs were rippled with hardened muscle, his calves just as impressive; a form which would give the observer the impression of speed and athleticism (and sturdy seasoned sea legs.) The ensembles of clothing he regularly adorned himself in could be described as practical, first and foremost. The set was a mixture of leathers and silks, all dark in colour and all light in make. The lower half of his face often wrapped in a cloth scarf, his head hooded with a silken cloak just as grand as the rest of the clothing he adorned. =History= Son of a Whore Jackson Blackgarden, as he is known today, was born in squaller, screaming and crying into the arms of a drunken whoremaster who hadn’t had the heart to see one of his heavily pregnant girls cast onto the street. The whorehouse aforementioned, a relatively small yet popular place of commerce in the docks of the Tirasian capital of Boralus, was noted to be a relatively inexpensive establishment attended mostly by the poorest and lowest ranking of the seamen who frequented the docks, those weary sailors returned from long voyages – pissed as a nit and eager to ‘lay anchor’, as it were. His father, most likely, was one of these fine men. No one knew for certain however, especially not his mother, who was too inebriated at the best of times to recall what she'd eaten to break her fast of a morning. No, Jack’s story begins at the very lowest pit of the societal hierarchy. A truly uplifting story of success against all odds, etcetera etcetera. As it could be assumed from the information provided thus far, Jack hadn’t had the best opportunity to flourish in growth of mind as a child – yet some how he did. Eager as ever, from when he was a little nipper, to communicate with any and every one of the denizens of his mother’s (who now became the madam of the establishment, some now say which is the catalyst of its downfall – because she is assumed to have never finished celebrating her new appointment, and was in a perpetual state of drunkenness the entire time) fine establishment. He heard tales of the sea from each and every one of the Sailors who entered the threshold and drank, ate and engaged in coitus at the establishment – and he always remembered, he created his own favourite stories to ask after from regulars and perhaps most importantly, created his own dreams. Of course, the success of any establishment is dependent on the owner and operator. Which was an unfortunate reality for this place of commerce, as one thing led to another, which led to the establishment being burned to the ground. To this day, no one can recall the reason, some say competition, others say an age-old tale of whore-love. It was most likely and quite anti-climatically an accident, regardless, young Jack was left homeless with a mother now bereft of any source of income, forced to prostitute on the streets to feed herself. Perhaps it was the hand of fate that dealt the first of many fortunate cards to young Jack; as his mother was busying herself servicing customers at the docks, he stumbled across a rather enigmatic captain named Angus Blackgarden, Angus was the captain of a small brig named ‘The Rook’, a relatively insignificant vessel specialised for the transport of small portions of cargo domestically around the islands and isles of Kul Tiras. It just so happened that Angus had recently lost his son in a storm off the coast of Stormsong Valley, and such as it were, took pity on the unkempt child. He asked Jack where his mother was, after which he led her to her den of depravity beneath one of the smaller wharfs. Upon seeing the reality of this young child’s life, and the ignorance and ineptitude of his mother, he decided to take action. He scalded the mother, who was too drunk and ignorant to care, and payed her a sum of eighteen gold pieces for the custody of the child. Jack had no documents or records of birth, such as they were, so it was an easy process for Angus at the least. And so, it was, little Jack of the whorehouse became Jack Blackgarden, adoptive son of the Angus, captain of the Rook – off to begin a better life. Days of Youth Throughout his formative teenage years, Jack showed incredible promise as a young sailor – able to fulfil all the jobs required of him, beloved by the crew for his enthusiasm to impress and his unwavering sense of humour and optimism. He even learned his letters, was taught numerical skills and navigation, all things befitting a future prospect for leadership; which was the future his adoptive father intended. These are known as the good days of his youth, and they, as all things good, were not to last forever. Angus and the crew had enjoyed a rather pleasant period of commercial success at a time when trade was free and unbarred between Kul Tiras and the Grand Alliance. Unplagued by piracy to any notable capacity, and untouched by the war. That was until the emergence of the Third War, where Kul Tiras suffered stunning and unprecedented defeats at the hands of the Scourge. Commerce seemed to drop, Piracy emerged a formidable issue in the seas surrounding Kul Tiras. Taxation was at an all-time high, Angus and his crew were simply unable to turn a profit and account for the risk of piracy simultaneously. This reached a climatic point when a storm eerily reminiscent of the one that claimed Angus’ trueborn son lashed the Rook off the northern coast of Stormsong Valley. They were forced to dump all the cargo they’d been carrying, essentially pissing away their earnings for the voyage. This created a great despair among the crew and none so more than their captain himself. Young Jack, Corsair The crew of the Rook saw no other option, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em; so the saying goes – and that’s exactly what they did. Angus was a good captain, a better knowledge of the Sea surrounding Kul Tiras was scarce to be found, lest they be among the great naval minds of the Tirasian Navy. What he had in navigational skill, and seamanship – he lacked in aggression, combativeness and a tactical mindset. Their maiden voyage was a small success, and allowed them to turn a small profit – however it wasn’t sustainable, especially for the danger. Jack, who was twenty years of age at this time and already first mate on the ship, suggested they sail beyond the region of Kul Tiras and raid the south-western coastline of the Eastern Kingdoms. For such an endeavour to be achieved, he insisted they had to upgrade their vessel – by means of hijacking, as it were their only realistic option. Jack hatched a daring plan to hijack a patrol frigate, who’s routes he had learned by studying schedules captured from prospective merchant vessels eager for protection from the navy. They were to act as a vessel in distress, sending up all the appropriate signals and laying in wait for the vessel mid patrol route. They did just this, Jack taking a position of proxy command, due to his assertiveness and the nature of his plan – his father folding the position to him out of necessity. They dressed themselves as wounded, chipped away at parts of their ship and ensured their holds were empty, painting a perfect picture of a vessel that’d become the victim of piracy. The frigate closed in, eager to assist the Tirasian merchant vessel and it’s ‘wounded’ crew. They were overwhelmed, despite their numbers – being taken completely by surprise. The crew of the frigate were imprisoned in their own hold, Angus assuming command of the ship, all be it briefly – for the original crew had decided not to roll over quietly. They broke their chains, emerging from the hold with fire in their hearts and violence in their minds – a fight ensued, a fight which claimed the lives of the entirety of the Tirasian Frigate’s original crew, and a great deal of the Rook’s crew. One such life was that of Angus, who was stabbed violently before Jack’s very eyes. So, one tale ended, and another began; the captaincy of Jack Blackgarden and dominion of the Pantheress… The Pantheress and the South Sea Rein It was at this stage of his life that Captain Jack Blackgarden forged his legacy, becoming both famous and infamous among pirates, merchants and naval forces of the Grand Alliance and the Horde alike. Jack made many modifications to the frigate they’d captured, replacing the white canvas sails with blackened ones – staining the entire wooden hull exterior a dark oaken colour, adding more firepower and fortifying her hull. He also renamed her after the beast that plagued his childhood dreams. As the panther would plague the jungles of Stranglethorn, so too would the Pantheress plague the Oceans of Azeroth. For a period of ten years, Jack raided and burned his way across the South Seas and the Cape of Stranglethorn, even dabbling in the Forbidding Sea – an unusual endeavour for pirates. He and his crew earned much renown, Jack became known throughout all the Seas as ‘Devil Jack’; for his uncanny ability to seemingly emerge right atop unsuspecting vessels as if from the depths of hell itself, unseen and ghostlike. Companions of note In this time, he made many friends and many enemies, often unable to tell the difference between the two. One such of these was Captain Mercer Grey, a man of similar age and similar heart to Jack himself. They came to blows many a time, when the Pantheress crossed into Grey’s domain within the Frozen Sea. Because of the sheer amount of times their blades crossed and assisted by the fact that none were ever able to gain an upper hand over the other, a bond of mutual respect was formed. At times they allied, in pursuit of larger scores or for survival. Rarely would their Alliance last longer than a season, for Jack seldom dwelled in a particular region for longer. For a short amount of time, perhaps spanning a year and change; Jack found himself a woman. A fiery woman and ferocious corsair in her own right, by the name of Harlie Morgan – who had gained herself the nickname ‘Maelstrom’. For a time, she acted as Quartermaster and bed mate to Jack, sharing together moments of pleasure, passion and inevitably the pain that the life provided. The relationship was short lived, however, as Morgan grew increasingly resentful of Jack’s devotion to the vessel he commanded, her crew and to forging his legacy. Their bond was severed entirely when Jack set sail out of Booty Bay with intent on stalking the Forbidding Sea and did not return for four years… Resurgence and Current Occupations Jack returned, after four years between the east coast of the kingdoms and the Forbidding Sea, he emerges. At a time when the Legion invasion of the Broken Isles has reached a crescendo and the shattered world of Argus looms in the sky, with tales of wonder and mystery from uncharted reaches. He seems to be garnering assistance and support for his ultimate goal, the status of Lordship over his playground, the Forbidding Sea... (WIP) Category:Tirasian Category:Pirates Category:Human Category:Sailors